Sorceress (Book 2) (21 page)

Eventually, the group came to a consensus and made the compromise that led up to this moment.

“You’re younger and in better health,” Kayleigh said, returning to the moment. “Also, the rider Ayalla lost was an earth maiden. Everyone thinks that if this is going to work, we should try to keep any new bond close to what existed before.”

Tamera Akers took a deep breath and said, “I’m not one to complain. Good luck to us both.”

Nodding to her friend, Kayleigh summoned her courage and walked to the stall with as much confidence as she could manage. Brian Tomas stood beside the unicorn and carefully removed the blankets draped across the beautiful creatures back. Despite the heat, Ayalla looked sickly and cold. Along the line of the unicorn’s neck were a series of purple bruises that reminded Kayleigh of cracks that developed in statues.

She had expected to see this, but even so the state of the unicorn made Kayleigh gasp ever so slightly. Glancing at the nearby nobleman, she saw that he was giving her a reassuring smile. Brian stepped around her, pausing long enough to place his hand on her shoulder and whisper, “Good luck.”

Everyone stood back, giving Kayleigh and Ayalla much-needed space. Doing her best to clear thoughts and focus on the task at hand, Kayleigh banished the memories of that intense circle of green fire she and Majherri created the last time she witnessed a unicorn dying from the wasting.

“Two of my sisters are ready outside,” Meghan Lynch said as she rode into the stables on T’rsa. “I’ll be ready to douse any fires that might arise inside. Let us know when you are ready to proceed.”

Kayleigh acknowledged the woman and tried not to read anything into the way both of them regarded her. Making matters worse, the unicorn she was currently bonded with joined the pair.

Rheysurrah is probably here to see if he can be rid of me,
Kayleigh thought as she turned her head away and scowled. Ayalla, the sole witness to the expression on her face, tilted her head almost imperceptibly and flared her nostrils.

“Regardless of what happens,” Kayleigh began, addressing the unicorn. “I am truly sorry for the loss of your rider. Everyone has assured me that you’re willing to go along with this but I need to hear from you. Are you certain this is what you want?”

Slowly, Ayalla nodded her agreement. Kayleigh mouthed a quick prayer to the Goddess to watch over both of them.

“I am ready to begin.”

General Hawthorne replied, “Understood. Proceed.”

Kayleigh held her right hand up and said, “Ayalla, I’m going to put my fingers at the base of your horn. There is likely to be some discomfort and I’ll do my best not to cause either of us any pain.”

After making contact, she waited a few seconds to allow the unicorn a chance to adjust to her unwanted presence. Very few unicorns like being touched by humans who were not there riders. Most would tolerate another Battle Maiden or someone like Brian. Majherri had been particularly irritated by others.

“The bond,” she continued, hoping her voice and her descriptions would help keep the unicorn relaxed. “It appears to me like a rope. I am going to close my eyes and start looking for the remnants of your bond.”

Doing what she just said, Kayleigh fought against a pang of insecurity. She and Lady Tomas had discussed the possibilities and the mental preparation that she could do to increase the likelihood of success but, with no knowledge of how to do this, it was obvious the Kayleigh was on her own.

Within her mind, she visualized the unicorn’s magic beneath her fingers in an effort to find where the connection that formerly went to the rider was. Like other unicorns she’d come into contact with, Ayalla felt like a storehouse of unrefined energy. It reminded her of a pot of water just before it began to boil. A unicorn’s rider acted as a spoon, stirring a pot in preventing water from boiling over. In truth, the wasting was a result of the pent-up and out-of-control magic inside of the unicorn deprived of the controlling influence of a rider. When unicorns first bond, the magic is unsealed, but if the rider dies, the magic must in some way become toxic.

Within what felt like minutes, but in fact was only seconds, Kayleigh located the frayed and blackened end. Carefully, she inspected it while blocking out the neighs belonging to Ayalla. Dark threads dangled unevenly from the spot where the connection had been severed.

Treating the rope-like bond as if it were indeed a broken cord, Kayleigh started a close examination of the damage. Where the ends were torn apart she could see tiny flashes of light.

It’s less like a rope and closer to the wick of a candle!

Using her imagination, she followed those flashes of light and saw tiny tendrils of darkened energy dissipating shortly after they left a broken connection.

This must be what poisons the unicorn’s body. Maybe I can try to put it out like a still smoldering candle?

Taking a moment to prepare, Kayleigh recalled how Danella broke her bond with Majherri. It was a vice like grip, followed by harsh tugs and yanks until the bond snapped. Even the possessed fire maiden had suffered from the backlash.

Not wanting to experience that again, she opted for a slow approach and envisioned her hand gripping the end and trying to smother the energies. Nothing happened at first, except for feelings of unease coming from both of them. She continued to hold, and released it after perhaps a minute. The lack of any sudden reaction unnerved her, but gave Kayleigh time to look for any more wisps of darkened energy. Seeing none, she hoped that this was a good sign and grabbed on once more, deciding to keep it still for several minutes.

Her sense of victory lasted until she felt a spasm of discomfort from Ayalla and followed the connection back to the source. The mass of energy representing the unicorn’s magic pulsed and appeared increasingly agitated. Her candle analogy fell aside, replaced by that of a covered pot building up pressure.

“That’s not good,” she said. “I’d better…”

Kayleigh didn’t get to finish what she was saying as a pulse of pure magic traversed the connection and slammed into her. Her eyes opened and there was a brief sensation of weightlessness before her body impacted against and slid down the opposite wall.

The villages in the North fell into two main categories - ones who fought the Yar and the ones who paid tribute to the mountain savages to leave them be.

The former hid behind town walls encircling their villages, protecting their livestock. The crops in the fields were overplanted, knowing a portion of it would be stolen.

The latter usually had a much smaller walled area where the villagers could run to in case their offering was found wanting, or a different Yar tribe decided to raid the village. These villages collected a tribute that was given to the Yar as the weather turned colder. The Yar took it in exchange for not attacking them and offering protection against the other tribes.

Majherri and his rider, and those that accompanied her were in one of these tribute villages with an ever changing lie. At this moment, they were a group of bounty hunters pursuing an imaginary man wanted for the murder of a nobleman and other high crimes. This man was alleged to have fled into the Yar territories.

From what little Majherri had learned, the tribes were often at each other’s throats and preventing one from achieving dominance over the others. It was an odd arrangement, fraught with tension on each side.

Danella’s task was to unbalance the political landscape and turn those raids and skirmishes into an offensive, forcing the Northern Kingdoms to divert troops and supplies that would normally augment the forces belonging to High-King Barris. It was a tactically sound plan and Majherri doubted that the Yar would need much encouragement to take up arms against their common enemies.

Majherri looked out at the lush and green landscape leading into the foothills as farmers worked the land to get the most out of the short growing season. Beyond the hills loomed the jagged peaks of the Devrin Mountains.

“I’ve retained a guide into the Yar territory,” Kuresh said. “The cost was more than anticipated, but we are still well funded.”

“Spend whatever you need. Can he arrange a meeting with the nearest chieftain?” Danella replied as she led Majherri down the dirt path that constituted the main thoroughfare through the village.

“He claims to have connections to the tribe, but says the Ice Claws will want a suitable tribute.” The unicorn suspected that this chieftain’s idea of a tribute and Danella’s would differ considerably.

His rider gestured to the buildings. “The tribe is likely one of the more powerful ones since they have access to spineless worms such as these. These Ice Claws shall be my first conquest. Learn all you can from our hireling about this tribe.”

Kuresh nodded and went on his way as Majherri glanced around, searching for something that interested him. The houses were mostly wood cabins with a few of them being stone, belonging to the more affluent villagers. The discolorations on the sides of the stone houses gave silent testimony to the raids of seasons past. As for the humans, Majherri considered them to be a hardy and independent stock who showed only a token allegiance to their nobles...probably the same amount they offered to the raiders.

The disguised unicorn wondered if this village would be standing when Danella’s plan unfolded. He thought it would, but could no longer be certain. His rider would be more apt to striking a fortified target to send a message. Then again, he knew how easily she might opt for a swath of destruction, laying waste to everything in sight.

Off to one side Majherri spotted young children engaged in carefree play. One stood in the center of a circle drawn in dirt surrounded by ten baskets. The boy tossed small square bags, filled with pebbles and dirt, trying to get them into a basket before moving to the next one.

He’d seen variations of this game played in every corner of the Blessed Continent. To Majherri, it meant that the human children here were not much different from the others throughout the kingdoms. The game represented the innocence of youth. It was something the males and females did together, before they aged and the children began playing with wooden swords and bows.

Somewhere between the games of children and the dangers of adulthood is where Majherri knew things went wrong, but he had no idea how to correct this.

“You’re brooding, Majherri,” Danella said, picking up on his mood. “I’m sorry I can’t take the reins off of you just yet.”

Majherri nodded slightly, not wanting to be seen openly responding to his rider when he was supposed to be playing the part of a mindless animal. At the moment, it was all the thinking that was depressing him.

In the distance he saw four things that didn’t bode well. The first was the storm clouds moving in over the mountains. There was a cold rain coming and Majherri wondered how the desert nomads he was traveling with might handle it. He doubted Danella would delay their departure, especially in light of the other things he saw – a trio of unicorn riders on the trail approaching the village. There were differences in the ways the battalions handled their affairs. A Master Scout might travel alone as he and Danella did in the South and the West. In the Northern Kingdoms, it appeared to be standard procedure to perform scouting in force.

“Look at the poor beast,”
one of the two males said.
“His idiot human rider forgot to take his reins off! But it just stands there looking sad and stupid.”

“Be nice, Urkai. Even if it can’t understand us, there is no call to be cruel,”
the lone female commented.
“If it weren’t for the storm, we wouldn’t even be in this overcrowded barn.”

Unlike the horses, which sadly included Majherri, the three unicorns were not in stalls. They paced the length of the barn as the thunderstorm raged outside. He’d been commanded not to communicate with the unicorns inside the barn by Danella, so all he could do was remain in place and be silent. It was nauseating.

“I wonder how long it will take for the storm to blow through. It’s a shame we weren’t chosen to join the group heading west. Some of the rumors say it’s going to be an actual war,”
the other male unicorn added.

“If you like heat, sand, and death, you’re more than welcome to it, Gristul. Besides, whatever this uprising is, it’s probably being blown far out of proportion,”
Urkai said, before snorting loudly and startling the female next to him.
“Iarisha? You’ve been distracted ever since we entered the barn. Is something wrong?”

“I don’t know,”
she replied.
“I just feel a little odd, I suppose. I can’t help feeling that there is something out of place here. Maybe I’m just letting the weather change get to me again.”

Majherri cursed to himself and thought, “I hope her mating instinct isn’t responding to the dark magic Danella has sullied our bond with. That would not end well. Although it would be mildly amusing to watch the reactions of her compatriots.”

He didn’t know any of these unicorns and for that he felt fortunate. Danella would probably let them ride away, but with her volatile nature, his rider could easily decide it would be quicker to kill them. Majherri thought about his prospects. Infused with Danella’s corrupting power, he’d have an easy time dispatching these three, should she command him to attack.

“I need to learn how to control this attraction,”
Majherri concluded. In the past, he’d joked among his few friends that he was irresistible to the females and could have any female for a mate. Now, that he actually might be, the reality fell short of his imagination.

Spending hours standing there, aimlessly chewing on some hay and trying not to be annoyed by the chafing of the reins that had concealed his appearance for weeks, was tedious at best. Most nights, Danella would mercifully take them off of him, but that was impossible tonight.

Still, I can observe these three and see if I can learn something useful…assuming they actually know anything worthwhile.

A loud thunderclap struck near the village and several of the horses in the stalls neighed loudly. Majherri knew he should pretend to be scared, but kept himself motionless and unbothered by the downpour outside.

“After all, I’m not disobeying Danella’s orders by doing absolutely nothing,”
he mused, while feeling the gaze of the female linger on him.

“I wonder if they ever found those missing trainees everyone was frantic about?”
Urkai asked.
“The magic of the Portals has never been something I questioned until now.”

“One of my colts is in that class, but I heard he wasn’t one of the ones that disappeared,”
the other male added.
“Though I did hear that the one unicorn who survived losing a rider is among those who are lost. Iarisha, is it true that the females were threatened if they were approached by that one during the last mating?”

The female snorted, nodded, and trotted purposefully to the other end of the barn – away from Majherri.
“I already had reached an agreement to mate with another and had no real interest, but I heard all the same things that you did and perhaps a little more.”

“There’s more to the tale, Iarisha? Tell us. You’re not one to gossip idly.”

“I cannot vouch for the truth in this matter, but there supposedly was a younger unicorn who almost risked banishment to mate with him, backing down only under the threat of violence. Again, I don’t know if this is truth or just something Savara dreamt up to alleviate her perpetual boredom.”

Majherri almost betrayed his presence at that statement. The only one who they could have been speaking of was named Pasha. She had actively pursued him only to frustrate him, and finally abandon the idea of mating with him out of fear. After the season had passed, he and Kayleigh had been moved out of the first year. He had no reason to seek her out and she avoided him out of what he suspected was shame. Searching his feelings, he was conflicted when it came to Pasha. When no other would bother, she attempted to befriend him and he had seen no other motive or agenda in her actions. Ultimately, he could not live up to the standard she held for him and his best wasn’t worth Pasha defying the will of the Greater Herd.

If this rumor was to be believed, Pasha considered mating with him despite the consequences and that impressed him. She and her rider were safe on the Sacred Isle. He could not foresee a scenario where they would meet again, but Majherri hoped that if they did, he would be able to control this magic surrounding him. Truly, he did not mind the idea of mating with the comely, younger unicorn. Instead, he would rather it be by her choice and not with some dark aura clouding her senses like the one affecting Iarisha, who stared at the wooden walls as the sky outside scolded the land surrounding them.

There was a moments warning, a feeling of energy surging through the air and crackling before the world around him exploded.

The primal screams of the animals filled the burning air as Majherri came to his senses and rose from where he’d collapsed in his stall. The barn was on fire and the bolt from the heavens had been strong enough to damage the structure. The hay stored in the loft above was already ablaze and the fire was spreading along the wall. The acrid smell of smoke irritated his nostrils, but the unicorn was the mount of a fire maiden. As dangerous as the flame was, Majherri knew its capabilities like second nature.

It was his element.

All around him chaos reigned supreme. Some of the horses had managed to get out of their stalls. Others were trapped and driven into a frenzy. The two male unicorns were attempting to guide the animals roaming free inside out into the storm and meeting resistance from the horses, who feared the flashing lights as much as the flames. In the rear of the barn, Iarisha used her horn to pry open a stall door and was rewarded by the freed stallion crashing into her, knocking both to the ground. The horse was first to stand and leapt toward freedom, kicking his rescuer in the head and sending the female unicorn back to the dirt.

Rearing, Majherri brought his front hooves into the door and smashed it off its hinges. Calmly, he forced his way out of the stall and into the throng of animals and the growing cloud of smoke. He worked his way through the terrified beasts. He could just leave the female there, but he was free to act so long as he didn’t communicate with her.

The female’s sides shuddered and he knew that the she was still breathing. He tried tapping her with his front hooves, but she barely stirred. Burning pieces of the upper level dropped from above, igniting the loose straw on the ground and other flammable material. Channeling his magic, he smacked his hooves on the ground and tried to push the flames away from them with some success, but it nearly exhausted the tiny bit of power he had available. There was one other hapless animal and Majherri freed it, wary of the creature bolting from its prison before turning back to the injured female.

Using his teeth, he grasped the edge of a bucket, filled perhaps a third of the way with water and dragged it next to the unicorn. Dropping the container next to her head, he knocked it onto her with his hoof and splashed the contents onto Iarisha’s head.

The unicorn moved sluggishly this time, snorting and making all manner of noise as she made a supreme effort to rise.

“Thank you,”
she said reflexively, before looking at him again and shaking her head in disbelief.

Flames and dying horses barred their path. He cast his gaze around, looking for signs of weakness in the structure and spotted a stall with a window. The wood looked somewhat dry rotted. Oblivious to the eyes of the female, he entered the stall and kicked at the wood surrounding the window with all his might. The wooden sill snapped away yanking some of the board with it. His hooves smashed the shutters aside causing the nearby flames to grow brighter with a new source of air to feed them. Steadily, the hole grew as his powerful hooves pushed against the planks of wood. The heat was approaching a level where even Majherri began feeling uncomfortable and the air he breathed became more of an irritant than a source of life. When the frame was sufficiently weakened, Majherri backed up and threw his weight against it. On the third time, he smashed out into the open air and the pouring rain.